The pundits are trying to recalibrate the Angels’ chances in the American League West. The websites that hold everyone but themselves to a standard of behavioral perfection are doing their usual end-zone dance. Nevertheless, there are peo...

Spring training kicks into gear this week with exhibition games beginning in earnest on Tuesday, then the Dodgers open their Cactus League schedule on Wednesday and the Angels start their docket on Thursday. All the game action helps remind fant...

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Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that third baseman David Freese has avoided arbitration with the Los Angeles Angels, agreeing to a one-year deal for $6.425 million. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the Angels have not announced the move. The deal was the midpoint between the salary figures exchanged by the sides. Freese batted .260 in his first season with the Angels, getting off to a weak...

By GREG BEACHAM
The Associated Press
|on 01/28/2015

Columnists

The doors have been slammed, the spines have been stiffened, the high horse rides toward Cooperstown. Barry Bonds is still not a Hall of Famer. The baseball writers anointed Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio on Tuesday, as they should have. Next year, Ken Griffey Jr. and Trevor Hoffman will most likely be first-ballot picks. Bonds got 36.8 percent of the vote and needed 75. He got 36.2 and 34.7 percent in his first two eligible...

Dodgers

Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, a trio of star pitchers who dominated in an era of offense, were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday along with Craig Biggio, the first time since 1955 writers selected four players in one year. The Big Unit, Martinez and Smoltz easily earned induction on their first tries, and Biggio made it on the third attempt after falling two votes shy last year. Steroids-tainted stars Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and...

By Ronald Blum
The Associated Press
|on 01/06/2015

Angels

ANAHEIM >> The Angels acquired outfielder Matt Joyce from the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday in exchange for right-handed reliever Kevin Jepsen. The Angels have big plans for Joyce, envisioning him as their primary designated hitter and possible No. 2 hitter, which would allow AL MVP Mike Trout to hit third in front of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton. Joyce’s left-handed bat and playing experience at both corner outfield spots also should allow Hamilton to spend more games as a...

By Greg Beacham
The Associated Press
|on 12/16/2014

Football

PHILADELPHIA >> Dez Bryant went nose-to-nose with Malcolm Jenkins in warmups and torched Bradley Fletcher three times during the game. Bryant caught a career-best three touchdown catches from Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys rallied to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-27 on Sunday night after wasting a 21-0 lead. DeMarco Murray had a pair of TD runs to help the Cowboys (10-4) move ahead of the Eagles (9-5) into first place in the NFC East. The Eagles dominated the Cowboys in...

By Rob Maaddi
The Associated Press
|on 12/14/2014

Angels

We have an early candidate for American League Most Valuable Player, 2015. On Wednesday, Andrew Heaney was traded twice. He was first dealt for Dee Gordon, who led the National League in triples and steals last season. Next, he was dealt for Howie Kendrick, a career .292 hitter in 1,081 major league at-bats, who tied his career high with 75 RBIs. Basically the Dodgers traded Gordon for Kendrick and laundered it through Miami, with Heaney as the...

Dodgers

Your first reaction is that Yasmani Grandal had better be good. He did hit 15 home runs last year, fourth in the N.L. for catchers, and hit eight of them in the Big Valley also known as Petco Park. And, in 67 starts for the Padres, Grandal threw out seven basestealers and failed to throw out 49. It’s extremely doubtful Clayton Kershaw or Zack Greinke would rather throw to Grandal than to A.J. Ellis, the control panel for the Dodgers’ pitching staff. But...

Dodgers

SAN DIEGO >> It was no secret among baseball insiders camped at the Manchester Grand Hyatt that the Padres were looking to make a splash at the Winter Meetings. They have a new general manager and a somewhat new ownership group. The event was in their backyard and the timing would never be better for a headline-grabbing deal. The Dodgers are not in a hurry to make a splash. They made a trade Tuesday, but it involved a player (Drew Butera) who had already been removed from their...

Baseball

SAN DIEGO — In lieu of any blockbuster trades, the Winter Meetings at least got interesting for the Dodgers and Angels. The teams finalized a trade Tuesday that sendt catcher Drew Butera from the Dodgers to the Angels for a player to be named or cash. It is the first trade between the teams since 1993, when the Angels shipped outfielder Reggie Williams to Chavez Ravine for pitcher Mike James. The Angels entered the Winter Meetings with few needs. One was a backup catcher,...

Sports

SAN DIEGO >> The Dodgers were supposed to be in the driver’s seat at the Winter Meetings, but the car appears stalled. In a market starved for middle-of-the-order hitters, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are available via trade. Don’t want to pay all of the $108 million left on Kemp’s contract, or the $54 million owed Ethier? Financial assistance is available. Free agents Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval and Nelson Cruz have all signed their megadeals but the...